Grain cleaner



March 17, 1925.

C. METTLER, SR

GRAIN CLEANER Filed Nov. 13, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l .QRY. I JE m m -50 Eur v r 4 s. J H Mn M m m C March 17, 1925. 1 1,530,277

6. METTLER, SR

GRAIN CLEANER Filed Nov. 13, 1922' 2 Sheets-Shed 2 Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES GHRISTOPH .METTLER, SE, OF

GRAIN CLEANER COMPANY, DAKOTA.

MENNO, SOUTH. DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WONDER OF ST. PAUL, MINNESO-TA,'A CORPORATION OF SOUTH GRAIN CLEANER.

Application file d November 18, 1922. Serial No. 600,737.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHRISTOPH METTLER, Senior, a citizen of the United States. residing at'Menno, in the county of Hutchinson and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Cleaners; and following to be a full, clear, scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a grain cleaner or separator, particularly to such a. device of the type adapted to be used in grain elevators and through which the grain is assed by gravity to clean and cool the same. guch grain, cleaning and cooling devices are placed in the elevator where the grain can be conveniently passed therethrough as it is loaded into the elevator or in some subsetra handling of the grain for cleaning purposes is unnecessary.

It is an object of vide such a grain cleaner of simple and efficient form adapted to suit grain of different conditions.

It is a further object of'the invention to provide such acleaner having a plurality of air directing and grain distributlng devices which, prefenably, can be varied in position to most efiiciently distribute the grain and also the air blast provided; I

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views,

and in which- Fig.1 is a view in side elevation of the device showing the air supplying means;

2 is a central vertical section through the device;

Fig. 3 is a view quent handling of the same so that an ex-' in side elevation of the same showing the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1; v

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, the separator I do hereby declare the and exact de-- this invention to prostructure comprises a narrow casing of generally rectangular form having the side walls 1 and 2 and the end walls 3 aud t.

pownwardly converging partitions 5 proect into the said casing from its top side ad acent one corner thereof and inwardly converging partitions 6 project into the cas-' ing from one side thereof adjacent its top, the upper partition 6 and one of the partitlons 5 co-operating to form a grain inlet chute. The casinghas an. opening in its wallS below the partition 6 which forms an an inlet opening and the outlet conduit 7 of a fan or air blast producing device 8 is connected to this opening. The fan 8 is disposed outside of the casing and adapted to be driven by a belt 9 from any suitable source of power. Projecting inwardly of the casing .from the air inlet opening are a plurality of devices 10, each comprising diverging partitions extending across from side to side of the casing and having their nner ends connected by members forming inwardly and downwardly curved surfaces. The .members 10 thus form, in effect, boxes of generally triangular shape and the same are connected at their outer ends to the caslng by'pivots 11 and are movable about said pivots. Said members have rigidly secured thereto pins 12 which project through slots 13 in the side of the casing and are'rigidly connected to plate members 14, a portion of which plate members is in contact with the out side of the casing so as to cover the said slots, and another portion of. which projects slightly and carries a pin 15 springpressed to engage with one of a serles of holes 16 formed in the side of the casing. Each of the members 10 can thus be swung about its pivot 11 and held in fixed position by engagement of the pin 15 with one of the holes 16. A grain directing plate 17 forms a continuation of the partition 6 andextends downwardly and inwardly of the easing, being spaced from the inner curved surface of the top member 10. An air outlet opening 18 is formed at the upper part of the casing opposite the air inlet opening and this 0 ening is traversed and divided by a. plurallty of rods 19 which support and have pivotally connected thereto a plurality of downwardly extending air directing plates or bafiles 20, which baflies extend from side to side of the casing and are curved as shown in Fig. 2, the lower ends being curved slightly upwardly and being disposed somewhat adjacent to and op oslte the inner ends of the members 10. A ditional air outlet openings 21 are formed below the opening 18 and balHe plates 23 which extend'from side to side of the casing, are pivoted at their upper ends to rods extending across the top of said air outlet openings 21, and de end into the casing. These baflle plates ave their inner ends curved slightly u wardly and s aced from the inner curved surfaces of the two lower members 10. The members 20 and 23 are movable about the rods at the upper end of the same and have connected thereto ins 24. which project through slots in the side of the casing and have secured thereto plates 25, a portion of which covers said slots and another portion of each of which is provided with a spring-pressed pin adapted to take into any one of a plurality of holes 26 formed on the outer side of the casing. The construction of the plates 25 and pins therein are similar to the ,structure of plates 14 and pins 15 already described. Tt will thus be seen that plates 20 and 23 can be adjusted to Various positions so that their inner ends are held in various relations to the inner ends of the members 10. A grain outlet opening 27 is provided in the bottom of the casing and the rear side of the casing has a downwardly and inwardly directed portion 28 leading from the lower air outlet opening 21 to said opening 27. The partition 29 extends from the lower Th side of the air inlet opening downwardly in substantially parallel relation tothe lower side of the lower member 1.0 and the short partition 30 extends u wardly and rearwardly from the front side of the opening 27 and connects with the partition 29. A. screenings separating chamber 31 is formed adjacent the outlet opening 18 and has a collecting spout 32 extending downwardly therefrom and an air outlet conduit 33 extends outwardly from its upper side. The outlet openings 21 are also provided with downwardly directed screenings collecting spouts 34.

lln operation, the grain will be brought into the elevator or into a bin thereof through the s out at the upper corner of the separator. T e grain will pass downwardly over the plate 17 and will be deflected somewhat upwardly and toward the rear of the casing and will thus be scattered and dis-,

tributed. While in its scattered position. air will be blown therethrough from the passage between the lower partition 6 and the top of the upper member 10, which air will pass above t e top member 20 to the outlet opening 18 and will carry with it any dust, c afl', impurities or light grain. The grain will strike the upper members 20 and will flow therefrom gravity downwardly assess? toward the front of the casing and will finally is discharged toward the rear partition 28 and directed downwardly through the outlet opening 27. The lighter ma terials will be carried out through the opening 18 and some of the heavier of these materials will settle in the chamber 31 and be discharged through the spout 32, the air, dust and impurities passing out through the opening The heavier screenings will be taken out through the openings 21 and will be collected in the spouts 34. The members 10, 20 and 23 can be adjusted. as already dcseribed. to direct more or less of the blast through the grain at the upper part of the casing or through the same at the lower part of the casing as is found desirable. The grain varies in condition as well as in the amount of and nature of the impurities therein and it is desirable to regulate the blast according to these various factors. e grain is eliiciently scattered and cleaned and also cooled in its passage through the casing and its condition greatly improved for storage or shipping. I

The only power necessary is that used to drive the fan, and in actual practice. said fan is driven by a very small power motor.

The machine can be inexpensively built and installed and requires very little attention in operation. The device has been thoroughly tested in actual use and found very eliicient for the purpose intended.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form. details, arrangement and proportionsof the parts without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A grain cleaner comprising a narrow casing of generally rectangular sihape. a grain inlet means extending downwardly therein from the top thereof, an air inlet means at one side of said casing below said grain inlet means. a plurality of diverging members extending from said air inlet for directing air upwardly and inwardly into said casing. an outlet passage at the side of said casing opposite the air inlet means,

and a plurality of movable air and grain baflie plates projecting downwardly toward said members.

2. A grain cleaner con'iprising, a narrow casing of generally rectangular shape. grain inlet means extending downwardly therein from one upper corner thereof, an air inlet means below said means and on the same side of the casing, a plurality of members extending across said casing and constituting angularly spaced partitions converging at said air inlet and dividing the air entering the same, the inner ends of said members formed as downwardly and inwardly directed curved surfaces forming grain direct-- ing means, an air outlet at the opposite side of said casing, and a plurality of air regu lating plates extending across said casing diverging downwardly and inwardly from said air outlet and terminating adjacent said surface to form grain directing means.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, said curved surfaces being successively steeper from top to bottom.

4. A grain cleaner having in combination, a narrow casing of substantially rectangular shape, grain inlet means at one side thereof adjacent its top, air inlet means at the same side below said grain inlet, an air outlet means at the opposite side of the'casing, a group of substantially wedge-shaped members extending from said air inlet means and dividing the air entering the same, a group of baffle members extending inwardly from said air outlet means, the inner ends of the upper of said members of each group being spaced from said grain inlet means and the inner ends of said members of each group being spaced from each other and being spaced from the ends of the members of the other group to form oppositely disposed grain deflecting means, and an outlet for grain'at the bottom of said casing.

5. A grain cleaner having in combination, a casing having substantially parallel and vertical front and rear end walls, inwardly converging partitions projecting from the top and from one side of said casing forming a grain inlet and directing means, an air inlet means at the same side of the casing and below their partitions projecting inwardly therefrom, a member having sides diverging inwardly from said air inlet and dividing the air entering the same and having an inner end with a downwardly and inwardly curved surface, an air outlet at the opposite side of the casing and an air directing baffle extending downwardly from said air outlet and having an upwardly curved lower end spaced from and adjacent said surface.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5, said first mentioned member and said bafile memher being movable about their outer ends.

7. A grain cleaner having in combination,

- grain inlet means,

a casing having substantially parallel sides and front and rear ends, a grain inlet means adjacent one upper corner thereof, an air blast inlet means below the same on the same side of the casing, members having inwardly converging sides projecting into said casing from said side and from the top thereof and forming grain and air directing means, an outlet passage for the 'air and impurities carried thereby adjacent the top of the casing at the opposite side thereof, a plurality of adjustable air directing members extending inwardly from said air blast inlet means having inwardly diverging sides, and a plurality of air and grain directing bailies extending downwardly and inwardly from said air outlet passage, the inner ends of said last two means co-operating to form grain distributing means.

'8. The structure set forth in claim 7, said plurality of air directing members having downwardly and inwardly concavely curved end surfaces and the ends of said air and grain directin baflies having inwardly directed concave y curved upper surfaces at their lower ends. y

9. The structure set forth in claim 7, an additional air outlet passage on the same side of the casing as said air outlet means, and movable baflie means extending downwardly and inwardly from the upper sides of the same to points adjacent the ends of .said air directing members.

10. A grain cleaner having in combination, a narrow substantially rectangular casing, a grain inlet and directing means at one upper corner thereof, an air inlet means at the same side of said casing and below said a member projecting into said casing from said air inlet and dividing the air entering the same comprising inwardly diverging top and bottom sides and a curved inner end spaced from said grain inlet means and adapted to distribute the grain.

11. A grain cleaner comprising, a casing,

a grain inlet and directing means adjacent the top and one side thereof, an air inlet means below said grain inlet means, diverging partitions extending inwardly from said air inlet means, dividing the air entering the same, and having downwardly and inwardly extending concave ends, an outlet passage at the other side of said casing, and a plurality of baflles extending downwardly and inwardly from said outlet passage having downwardly and inwardly extending concave upper surfaces at their lower ends arranged in staggered and overlapping relation to said concave ends of said partitions whereby the grain is deflected back and forth on said partitions and baffles.

12. A grain cleaner comprising a casing, a grain inlet and directing means adjacent the at the same side of said casing, an air outlet means at the opposite side of said casing and a movable air battle extending downwardly and inwardly from said air outlet having its lower end formed as a grain directing means spaced from and co-operating with said grain inlet and directing means.

13. A grain cleaning device comprising a comparatively narrow easing having substantially parallel sides, an inlet passage for grain adjacent the top and one side thereof, an inlet passage for air beneath said passa e and at the same side of said casing, a plurality of members extending in diverging relation inwardly from said air passage having concave downwardly and in wardly directed end surfaces, an outlet passage adjacent the top of said casingat the opposite side thereof, and a plurality of baflle plates extending from said outlet passage downwardly and inwardly in diverging relation and having their lower ends spaced from and disposed in front of said concave surfaces of said members.

14:. An air cleaning device comprising a 'mernbers having inwardl nesaaaa comparatively narrow casing having substantially parallel sides, an inlet passage for grain ad'acent the top and one side thereof, an air inlet passage beneath said passage and at the same side of said casing, a plurality of air directing members extending in diverging relation from said air inlet passage adapted to direct the air in a plurality of streams, a plurality of outlet passages at the opposite side of said casing, and a movable baffle late extending from the top of each of said outlet passages inwardly and downwardly and having its lower end disposed in front of one of said air directing members.

15. The structure set forth in claim 1, said diverging sides and inner end surfaces orrning grain deflectors.

16. The structure set forth in claim 1-, said baffle plates being curved u wardly at their free ends to form grain de eating means.

In testimony whereof I afix my sigmatnire CHRISTOPH METTLER, SR, 

